On his development: "I think in college we don't play in as many games, but with that we have a lot of practice time and time to get in the weight room. That's where we can make a lot of strides in our development. I try to work hard every day in college and I think I've made a lot of strides in terms of my development to become a complete player. Not so much a one-dimensional player, like I was before college."

On playing for Team USA in 2012-13: "It really gave me a lot of confidence. That was my first international experience. Knowing I could play with those guys and putting up a lot of points gave me confidence moving forward. I made it as the 13th forward, so I didn't get a lot of ice-time to start, but we lost two games in a row and the coaches juggled some lines and I played on the top line the rest of the way. I gained a lot of confidence as that tournament went along into the second half of my college season."

Players listen to a coach's instructions during Predators development camp at Bridgestone Arena on July 9, 2014. (Photo: Larry McCormack / THE TENNESSEAN)

Predators coach Peter Laviolette watches from the stands as players go through the paces during Predators development camp at Bridgestone Arena on July 9, 2014. (Photo: Larry McCormack / THE TENNESSEAN)